The Painful Truth
by badly-knitted
Summary: Dee has had more that enough of JJ fawning over him and decides it's time to set him straight once and for all. Set after the manga, but before Like Like Love. Written for fic promptly.


**Title:** The Painful Truth

 **Author:** badly-knitted

 **Characters:** Dee, JJ.

 **Rating:** PG

 **Setting:** After the manga, but before Like Like Love.

 **Summary:** Dee has had more that enough of JJ fawning over him and decides it's time to set him straight once and for all.

 **Word Count:** 799

 **Written For:** My own prompt 'FAKE, Dee, JJ, "Trust me when I say I wouldn't be interested in you if we were the last two people on earth!",' at fic_promptly.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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JJ was babbling on again about love and romance and kissing and God only knew what else, because Dee was doing his best to drown out the other detective's voice with thoughts of his gorgeous Ryo. Damn Drake for taking the same day off as Ryo because that had left Dee forced to work with JJ, something he always tried to avoid because… Well, because JJ was obsessed with him and acted like a lovesick teenager whenever he saw Dee. Life had been so much easier before JJ had tracked him down again and transferred to the 27th Precinct. If not for Ryo, Dee might have been tempted to flee to another city, but now he'd found the man of his dreams he wasn't about to risk losing him again.

Problem was, as far as JJ was concerned Dee was the man of _his_ dreams…

"JJ, shut up!" Dee snapped, a little louder than he'd intended, but he wasn't sure JJ would have heard if he'd spoken more quietly. Even so, he could have done without passers-by turning to stare at them. This was the wrong time to have it out with JJ, they were supposed to canvassing for witnesses to a brutal assault, and it was definitely the wrong place, but dammit, Dee had endured as much of JJ's jabbering as he could take.

"But…" JJ started.

"But nothing!" Dee stopped dead and spun on his heel to glare down at the smaller man, forcing other pedestrians to go round them. "Just shut up and listen. And I mean really listen, don't just stare dreamily at me."

"I'm listening, Mister Studly!" JJ beamed at Dee.

"Don't call me that!" Dee ground out between gritted teeth. "If you absolutely have to call me anything, then use my name. Now listen and understand. I am not interested in you romantically or any other way. I never have been and I never will be. Trust me when I say I still wouldn't be interested in you if we were the last two people on earth! I'm sorry that's not what you want to hear but it's the God's honest truth. I am already in a very happy and committed relationship with… someone else."

"But I love you!"

"No you don't, JJ. You have a gigantic crush on the man you think I am, your fantasy version of me, but I'm not that guy…"

"You could be."

"No, I couldn't, because I don't want to be that guy. JJ, you're wastin' your life dreamin' about something that's never gonna happen. Somewhere out there is the perfect guy for you, but it's not me, no matter how much you think you want it to be, and if you keep chasin' after someone you'll never have, you're gonna live a very sad and lonely life. You deserve to have someone of your own, someone you can lavish affection on, who'll appreciate all the things you do for them, but it's not me."

JJ's lower lip wobbled and he looked pleadingly at Dee. "But I don't want anyone else!"

"That's only because you've never looked at anyone else; not seriously. JJ, for years I've been trying to let you down as gently as I could, because we work together and you're… sort of a friend, but it never works because you refuse to accept the truth even when it's starin' you right in the face."

"It's Ryo, isn't it." JJ spoke the words in a tone that made them a statement rather than a question.

"Yeah." Dee nodded slowly, a soft smile curving his lips. "Always has been, ever since the day I met him." He looked at JJ with sympathy in his eyes. "I get it, JJ, I really do. I know how it feels to be head over heels for someone who doesn't feel the same way, but at the same time I always knew deep down that Ryo did have feelings for me. There were signs; whenever I kissed him, even if just for a moment, he kissed back. Have I ever done that when you've thrown yourself at me? Be honest."

Shoulders slumping, JJ shook his head. "No." It was barely more than a whisper.

"There's someone special out there for you, JJ, you just need to open your eyes and find him. Okay?"

"I guess."

"Okay, good. C'mon, bud. We've got work to do. Just think about what I've said." Dee turned away and started off down the street again. JJ stood there staring after him for a moment, then heaved a heavy sigh and trailed after him. Deep down he supposed he'd always known Dee would never be his, but it had been a beautiful dream while it lasted. It was just time now to let the dream die.

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The End


End file.
